Professor Kerrie Wilson commenced her role as Queensland Chief Scientist on 1 November 2023. She oversees Queensland’s first Science Strategy—a comprehensive, whole-of-government framework to support the generation and translation of globally significant science, ensuring sustainable economic growth.

With a distinguished career in academia and conservation, Professor Wilson has held prominent positions at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), including Pro Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability and Research Integrity) and Executive Director of the QUT Institute for Future Environments. Her previous leadership roles include Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Director of Conservation for The Nature Conservancy Australia, and she currently serves as a natural sciences expert on the Australian Heritage Council.

Professor Wilson holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science (First Class Honours) from The University of Queensland and a PhD from The University of Melbourne, completed in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge, UK.

Outside of her professional commitments, Professor Wilson is an avid outdoor enthusiast, regularly exploring Queensland’s national parks with her family.